Cantos X–XI

Summary: Canto X

Still in the Sixth Circle of Hell, Dante and
Virgil wander among the fiery tombs of the Heretics. Virgil describes
the particular heresy of one of the groups, the Epicureans, who
pursued pleasure in life because they believed that the soul died
with the body. Suddenly, a voice from one of the tombs interrupts
them and addresses Dante as a Tuscan (Tuscany is the region of Italy
in which Florence is located). The voice belongs to a soul whom
Virgil identifies as Farinata, a political leader of Dante’s era. Virgil
encourages Dante to speak with him.

Dante and Farinata have hardly begun their conversation
when another soul, that of Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti, the father
of Dante’s intimate friend Guido, rises up and interrupts them,
wondering why his son has not accompanied Dante here. Dante replies that
perhaps Guido held Virgil in disdain. (According to some translations
of Inferno, Dante says that Guido held God, or Beatrice, in disdain.
The point is a matter of considerable debate among scholars.) Frantic,
the shade reads too much into Dante’s words and assumes that his
son is dead. In despair, he sinks back down in his grave.

Farinata continues discussing Florentine politics. He
and Dante clearly represent opposing parties (though these parties
are not named), yet they treat each other politely. From Farinata’s
words and those of the nearby soul, Dante realizes that the shades
in Hell can see future events but not present ones. Farinata can
prophesy the future—he predicts Dante’s exile from Florence—but
remains ignorant of current events. Farinata confirms that, as part
of their punishment, the Heretics can see only distant things.

Virgil calls Dante back, and they proceed through the
rest of the Sixth Circle. Farinata’s words have made Dante apprehensive
about the length of time remaining for his exile, but Virgil assures
him that he will hear a fuller account when they come to a better
place.

Summary: Canto XI

At the edge of the Seventh Circle of Hell rises a stench
so overpowering that Virgil and Dante must sit down at the tomb
of Pope Anastasius in order to adjust to it. Virgil takes the opportunity
to explain the last three circles of Hell and their respective subdivisions.
The Seventh Circle of Hell, which contains those who are violent,
is subdivided into three smaller circles: they punish the sins of
violence against one’s neighbor, against oneself, and against God.
Worse than any violence, however, is the sin of fraud, which breaks
the trust of a man and therefore most directly opposes the great
virtue of love. The last two circles of Hell thus punish
the Fraudulent. The Eighth Circle punishes “normal fraud”—sins that
violate the natural trust between people. Such fraud includes acts
of hypocrisy and underhanded flattery. The Ninth Circle, the seat
of Dis, punishes betrayal—sins that violate a relationship of particularly special
trust. These are the loyalties to kin, to country and party, to
guests, and to benefactors.

Dante asks Virgil why these divisions of Hell exist, wondering why
the sinners they have seen previously do not receive this same degree
of punishment, as they too have acted contrary to divine will. In
response, Virgil reminds Dante of the philosophy set forth in Aristotle’s
Nicomachean Ethics, which posits the existence of “[t]hree dispositions
counter to Heaven’s will: / Incontinence, malice, insane brutality”
(XI.79–80). The disposition of incontinence offends
God least, says Virgil, and thus receives a more lenient punishment,
outside of the city of Dis.